Accessible websites to BFSG & WCAG standards

Since June 2025, accessibility has been a legal requirement for many websites and online shops in Germany — and a competitive advantage for everyone else. We audit your website against WCAG 2.1 AA, fix the findings in your existing site, and build new projects accessible from day one.

Request an accessibility check

An obligation for many, an advantage for all

Germany's Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has turned accessibility from a nice-to-have into a legal duty. And even where the law doesn't apply, it pays off: an accessible website is easier for every visitor to use — and much of it feeds straight into SEO and conversion.

The BFSG has applied since June 2025

Online shops and consumer-facing digital services have had to be accessible since 28 June 2025. Market surveillance authorities and consumer associations can pursue violations. Our in-depth article explains what the law actually demands.

Read the BFSG article

WCAG 2.1 AA as the yardstick

In practice the law resolves to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at level AA — the same standard the German BITV uses for public-sector sites. We audit and develop consistently against these criteria.

Better rankings, wider reach

Clean structure, alt text, fast operability: much of what accessibility demands, Google rewards too. And you reach the many people who depend on accessible services — an audience your competitors often lock out.

Fewer funnel drop-offs

Understandable forms, clear error messages and keyboard-operable checkouts don't just help people with disabilities — they reduce abandonment for everyone. Accessibility is good usability with a legal basis.

Book a consultation

How we make your website accessible

From the first audit to ongoing safeguards: we cover the whole journey — as remediation of your existing site or built in from the start of a new one.

Audit & findings report

We test your website manually and with tools against WCAG 2.1 AA and deliver a prioritised report: what's critical, what's a quick fix, what can wait. The audit combines well with our express website analysis.

Go to website audit

Remediation of existing sites

Contrast, alt text, forms, keyboard operability: we fix the findings directly in your theme or template — no relaunch required, and no overlay widgets that merely mask the symptoms.

Accessible from day one

In new builds, accessibility is part of our foundation rather than a retrofit line item: semantic HTML, verified contrast and keyboard paths from the very first draft.

Go to web development

CMS-specific expertise

WordPress and TYPO3 come with pitfalls of their own — from page-builder markup to extension output. How we handle each is covered on our dedicated pages for WordPress accessibility and TYPO3 accessibility.

For us, accessibility is craft — not an add-on

We don't sell overlay miracle fixes. Accessibility lives in the code: in clean HTML, verified contrast and interaction paths that work without a mouse.

We keep our own website at AA level with automated contrast and tap-target tests — and on request we build the same checks into your project, so accessibility survives beyond go-live instead of eroding.

aceArt team

The six fields of an accessibility audit

WCAG 2.1 AA comprises dozens of individual criteria — in practice, almost all findings fall into six fields. This is how we tackle them:

Contrast & colour
Text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background (3:1 for large type), and information must never be conveyed by colour alone — an error message that is merely red, with no text or icon, fails the test. We measure every text/background combination and correct colour values while keeping your corporate design intact.
Keyboard operability
Every function of the website must be usable without a mouse: navigation, forms, sliders, cart, checkout. That includes a visible focus indicator, a logical tab order and skip links. This is where most websites we audit fail — usually due to theme JavaScript details that can be fixed surgically.
Forms & error messages
Screen readers must be able to announce what a field expects: every input needs a programmatically linked label, and required fields and errors must be communicated as text. We rebuild forms so everyone can understand them — which incidentally also lowers abandonment for sighted users.
Alt text & media
Images need meaningful alternative text, decorative graphics are explicitly marked as such, videos need captions. We work through your media library systematically and define editorial rules so new content keeps the standard.
Structure & screen readers
A clean heading hierarchy, HTML landmarks and correctly labelled interactive elements make a page navigable by screen reader. We test with real screen readers, not just checking tools — automated scanners only cover part of the WCAG criteria.
Motion & animation
Sliders, carousels and animations must be pausable and respect the “reduce motion” system setting. We check every moving component and retrofit controls where they are missing.

FAQ

Is an accessible website legally required?
For many businesses, yes: since 28 June 2025, Germany’s Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has been in force. Among others, it obliges online shops and consumer-facing digital services to be accessible; public bodies have long been covered by BITV 2.0. We break down who is affected in our BFSG article — and clarify your case in a first consultation if in doubt.
What exactly does the BFSG require of my website?
In substance, the law points to WCAG 2.1, conformance level AA (via the European standard EN 301 549): sufficient contrast, full keyboard operability, correctly labelled forms, meaningful alt text and a structure that screen readers can parse. Those are exactly the criteria we audit and fix.
Does the BFSG apply to small businesses too?
Micro-enterprises — fewer than ten employees and at most two million euros in annual turnover or balance sheet total — are exempt for services. Businesses that place products on the market themselves cannot rely on that exemption. Regardless of the legal duty: accessible websites are easier for all visitors to use and tend to rank better.
Do I have to rebuild my website from scratch?
In the vast majority of cases, no. The most common findings in our audits — weak contrast, missing alt text, unlabelled forms, sliders and checkouts that can’t be operated by keyboard — can be fixed within the existing site. A full relaunch is only the better route when the theme is technically at the end of its life; we’ll tell you honestly after the audit.
What does it cost to make a website accessible?
That depends on the state of the existing site — which is why we start with an audit that prioritises the findings: what’s a quick fix, what needs development effort? On that basis you get a transparent estimate before anything is commissioned.
How do you test accessibility?
With a combination: automated tools for what is measurable (contrast, missing attributes) and manual keyboard and screen-reader testing for everything scanners can’t catch. We safeguard our own website with automated contrast and tap-target tests in CI — and bring the same rigour to your project.
HOME › SERVICES › ACCESSIBILITY